The first tinkering moments of ‘Ethics’ by Deafkid drew us to the 1997 hit classic ‘I Could Never Be Your Woman’ by White Town, with those wistful, spacious lyrics and simple repetition. However, London electronic duo Deafkid take this endlessly popular dance structure by the hand into world of Middle Eastern strings, weird ‘80s synth and disco electric guitars. These various elements ride a gentle sway of consistent bass that lulls the listener into a trance-like two-step. It’s just the kind of experimentalism we’d expect from this underrated production pair, who have had a busy couple of years since 2014’s Dialects EP, working with the likes of Will Joseph Cook, Emika and Pillars, as well as building up their skills as multi-instrumentalists, producers, sound engineers and mixers, much of which was done in their cellar studio. Alongside ‘Ethics’, Deafkid have meshed a wealth of electronic textures and thought-provoking lyrics into the freshly released Are We Deaf? EP. - HT